Narmada rally reaches Jalsindhi

By Gargi Parsai

JALSINDHI, AUG 3. ``The struggle in the Narmada Valley will be
taken to its peak as any non-violent war with determination to
fight to the finish. Definitely Arundhati Roy's involvement has
strengthened the movement,'' said Ms. Medha Patkar of the Narmada
Bachao Andolan (NBA), welcoming the Booker Prize winner who came
to the Valley with the ``Rally for the Valley'' from Delhi.

Ms. Arundhati Roy had trekked for five hours with 200 others from
Kakrana to reach the satyagraha village. The marathon walk had to
be undertaken as the Gujarat Government sealed its borders and
imposed Section 144 en route. Today they seized the vehicle
belonging to NBA and arrested the driver at Hapeshwar in Gujarat.
The jeep was to carry some participants of the rally from
Hapeshwar on their way to Baroda and Mumbai.

Despite attempts by the Gujarat Government to disrupt the rally
by preventing any movement in this State, it was a huge success.
``It is great,'' said Ms. Arundhati Roy when she reached the
remote Jalsindhi and was received by Ms. Medha Patkar and others
at a rousing reception. Several members of the rally,
particularly the media, had taken the four-hour boat-ride on the
Narmada from Kakeshwar to Jalsindhi.